Endoscopic cutting forceps are well known in the art. In general, endoscopic cutting forceps comprise a pair of jaws disposed at the distal end of a shaft, a blade cutter configured to reciprocate in the space between the jaws (and hence cut tissue disposed between the pair of jaws), and a handle disposed at the proximal end of the shaft for carrying a lever for actuating the pair of jaws and a trigger for actuating the blade cutter. In some constructions, the endoscopic cutting forceps allow the pair of jaws and the blade cutter to be rotated as a unit about the axis of the shaft, and/or the endoscopic cutting forceps allow the pair of jaws to be electrically energized so as to provide electrocautery function to the endoscopic cutting forceps.
In general, it can be convenient to provide a latching mechanism for the lever which actuates the jaws, whereby to allow the jaws to be temporarily locked (or clamped) in a closed position about tissue, e.g., while the blade cutter is actuated to cut the tissue disposed between the clamped jaws.
Unfortunately, current latching mechanisms for endoscopic cutting forceps tend to be mechanically complex and hence difficult and/or expensive to manufacture.
Thus there is a need for a new and improved latching mechanism for an endoscopic cutting forceps wherein the latching mechanism is mechanically simple and hence easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
There is also a need for a new and improved latching mechanism for the actuating levers of other surgical instruments and/or other lever-actuated devices wherein the latching mechanism is mechanically simple and hence easy and inexpensive to manufacture.